


Birthdays are for celebrating

by LunaDae



Series: Life is like a River [2]
Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Dirty Thoughts, F/M, Held Down, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Light Dom/sub, My own post-Path Of Glory ending, Not Canon Compliant, Rough Sex, Weird Plot Shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:01:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28792854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaDae/pseuds/LunaDae
Summary: V has been dealing with her demons and River finally gets her to open up.Chapter 1: Something's been bugging V all week.Chapter 2: River takes her to see a good friend and to celebrate Jackie's life.Chapter 3: They make a quick stop at Rocky Ridge. V is such a flirt.Chapter 4: River has plans for the future. Smut here.“I don’t like being told what to do unless I’m naked!” V said matter-of-factly back at him over her shoulder.“I’ve noticed”, River smirked. “Guess that’s something we could fix soon ‘nough”.
Relationships: Female V/River Ward, River Ward - Relationship, V/River Ward
Series: Life is like a River [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095695
Comments: 25
Kudos: 66





	1. Five Seconds

**Author's Note:**

> This is an angsty chapter but will be followed by more smut and mushy expressions of love later. I miss Jackie, I needed to get through this first and it's good practice for my fear of writing dialogue anyway. 
> 
> I also tried to flesh out V a bit more and took some liberty with her surname, based on Nomad/Bakkers history. Purposefully kept her vague in the first part of this series because I wasn't sure where it was going but I think I have a better idea now about who she is.

It’s been quiet around the Ward-Dahlin house this week, and not in a good way either. V has been struggling with a personal demon (or several) for a while now and it didn’t seem as if she was even close to winning this fight. 

She’d go through bad patches in the past, sure, but never this intense. While River had been giving her space to figure it out on her own, knowing that she’d talk it out with him when she was ready, it broke his heart to see her like this. So distant and in so much pain. So alone. 

She melted into him whenever he pulled her close or offered comfort, but she still didn’t talk to him about it and the helplessness he desperately tried to shove aside was tearing him apart. If only he knew what was wrong. He tried to keep his mind busy instead, tried not to make assumptions. 

* * *

River was in the kitchen taking his frustration out on foodstuffs when he heard a noise, a loud crash. It was followed by V first swearing, then shouting. He dashed out the door, abandoning the tomatoes and onions he’d been vehemently slashing at just seconds earlier.

River came running around the corner to see her kick at a toolbox before throwing a lug wrench to the ground. V had been working on her Arch Nazaré, working on the brakes if his knowledge of motorcycles wasn’t letting him down. 

It used to be Jackie’s bike. V cherished the Arch, and one could even go so far as to say it was her most treasured possession. It was an unspoken rule in the world of V, everyone who loved her knew and respected this one rule: no one else touched the Arch. Ever. 

“You okay, babe?” River asked tentatively when he slowed down, not sure if she needed him around or wanted to be alone. This was really unchartered territory for him, actually. V was in a state he’d never seen before.

She is many things, sure. She is passionate and fiery and loving and stubborn and sometimes crazy but mostly hot-headed. They’ve been through every aspect of the human condition together, or so River had believed until recently. 

She was there for him and Joss through Randy’s ordeal. Heck, she was there for Randy when he needed to heal and move past the trauma of his kidnapping and everything unspoken that went with it, even though it must have broke her. 

River learned after the fact that V had personal experience with that. That she, too, was a victim of that kind of trauma, even though one would never know just by looking at her. They’ve worked through it and survived that as well, as a family. He was there for her when she dealt with demons from her past. And when she almost died.

They’ve fought and screamed at each other with as much passion as they've fucked each other. They’ve been tender and gentle and worked through each other’s pain and suffering. Whether they wanted to rip each other's head off or rip their clothes off, it had always been together, never this… this chasm between them. 

But this was new. This was different. V gave the toolbox another kick and mumbled something about monobloc callipers and worn out brake pads. From the looks and sound of it, she was in the process of servicing the brakes and broke a gator or pin or something. River wasn’t going to pretend to be _that_ knowledgeable about bikes. 

“The fucking thing just snapped”, V said as she buried her face in her hands. It left a grease streak across her cheek, but she was hardly aware of it. She stared at her feet for a while, digging her toe into the dirt, still unable to look at him. 

Eventually, she just broke down completely and crumpled to the ground. Even that she did gracefully, folding into herself until she sat slumped over between the toolbox and the bike, her legs drawn up and her elbows resting on her knees. 

Her cheeks were wet. V never cried in front of others, not even him if she can help it. And seeing her like this absolutely broke River’s heart. River slowly sat down beside her, not daring to say a word, but refusing to leave her like this. 

They sat in silence for a while, when V finally spoke up again. Soft, the fight had left her lungs and she was just staring out into the distance.

“It was his birthday last week, you know. Jackie. He would have turned 31.” 

Ah, it all makes sense now.

They’ve spoken about Jackie in the past. River knew about the job at Konpeki Plaza that claimed Jackie’s life. V had even once taken him to the tomb at the Columbarium. He knew Jackie was the most important person in her life, and he knew the wound was still raw even now, more than a year later. 

“I’m sorry, V”, was all River said, for now, as he pulled her into a hug. She didn’t protest. He held her tight while she told him about bits and pieces she could remember from their time together, when she had just arrived in Night City after leaving the Bakkers and Dahlins.

How she was alone in the world when the family fell apart, truly alone in every sense of the word, and how Jackie helped her make sense of life again. How he could be such a dork at times. How he was chasing the big leagues and just wanted to make a name for himself. In neon letters. 

“And you know what really fucks with my head? All this time I’ve been trying to survive the Relic, it never occurred to me that Jackie could have still been alive. _Because_ of it. Just one seemingly insignificant action between him being dead and him being here. He’d be fucked like I was, but he would have had a chance”. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, as Vik explained to me, the Relic only started overwriting my neural network after I died. After Dex put a bullet in my brain. I had that chip in my head for hours before he shot me, and I was fine. The Relic wasn’t active.”

“I’m not following. I get how the Relic only messed with your brain later, but how does that relate to Jackie?” 

“The Relic’s cryo-container took damage while we were trying to escape Konpeki Plaza. It would have been damaged beyond repair if Jackie hadn’t slotted it into his port. But he removed it seconds before he… before he died. Gave it to me for safekeeping.

“And the fact that I only connected the dots this week, of all weeks, on his fucking birthday, is really doing my head in. If he hadn’t removed the Relic, he would have died in the Delamain, yes sure, but he would have been resurrected, y’know, once his brain was dead and the Relic started rewriting _his_ neural network”. 

River didn’t really know how to respond to that, so he just held her tighter, waiting for her to continue. 

“Five seconds, River. Five fucking seconds. If he had just left the Relic in his fucking head for five more seconds, he would have died with the Relic and it would have saved him. Yeah, he would be dying slowly afterwards, like I was. But I’m here now. He could have been… he...”

She trailed off, sobbing against his chest again.

“He could have been here now”, River completed her sentence as he pulled her tight against him, wrapped both arms around her shoulders and tucked her in under his chin. He held her like that until she quieted down and the tears stopped. 

It was mid-afternoon, they still had a few hours before dusk sets in. River had a plan. 

“Come,” he said as he pushed himself up and pulled her with him.

“What? Where are we going?”

“We’re getting out of here. Birthdays are meant to be joyous occasions. We’re going to celebrate Jackie’s life”. River started walking towards the house, but stopped and turned around when he realized she wasn’t following. 

She was still standing next to the bike, just a smidgen out of his reach, looking at him with so much love and affection that his heart was going to shatter again, but this time in a good way. He reached out to her again and she all but ran into his arms, holding on to him tightly. 

“I fucking love you, do you know that? How did I luck out like this?”

“You’re surprised?” River joked as he held her tight, lightening the mood. He was good at that. 

“I’m never not going to care about you, Valerie. I’m never not going to try everything in my power to make you happy. Didn’t I promise to do whatever it would take, to make you smile at least once a day?”

He did. She remembered it like it was yesterday. It was the day she moved out of her apartment in the city and moved in with River and Josh and the kids. Before they even had their own place. At the time, it felt like they were moving too fast, and she almost bailed on him. And on the Wards. 

River gave her the space she needed to clear her head, and when the panic subsided, he sat her down and explained that being in each other’s lives meant she didn’t have to face anything alone ever again. 

That he knew she was very capable on her own and that he won’t be taking away any of her power, but being partners meant they could rely on each other 100%, that there was no need to be strong all the time. 

They could be weak if they needed to, knowing the other was there to catch them. Knowing that they had a wonderful support system, a safety net. But it would only work if they were both all in. 

“You are amazing, Riv”.

“I try”, he laughed again. “Come, let’s get you cleaned up. Your face is covered in grease, and as much as it suits you… What? You pull it off!” – he dodged a playful punch as he said it – “you’d feel better after a shower anyway”. 

He was too worried about her earlier to pay any attention to her shorts or the grey tank top she had knotted right under the curve of her breasts. Or her long legs and bare feet, or how she was covered in dust and dirt from fidgeting with the bike.

He definitely noticed it now but resisted the urge to run his hands up her sides, to tuck at the tank top's knot, to pull it up over her head and... River controlled himself as he cupped her face in his hands and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead instead. 

“I need to let you take care of me more often.”

“Mhm. You really do”, he said sagely, and followed her into the house. 

* * *

River packed away the half-prepared Jambalaya ingredients that would have been lunch and cleaned up the kitchen while V was in the shower. They’ll eat later. He packed a few things for their mini road trip and secured it safely under the tarp of his Thornton, rushing so it’s all covered up before V sees what he has planned. 

He turned around just as she opened the front door, and leaned back against the side of his truck, arms crossed and taking in the view. V may think _she_ lucked out but he was the lucky one here. She truly was something else, this woman of his. 

Soft and beautiful yet somehow also so hard and deadly it boggles the mind. Her hair was still damp from the shower and cascaded over her shoulders. She was dressed in her favorite black leather pants, a pair of biker boots and a brown leather jacket. A tank top underneath showed just enough midriff to keep River’s attention. 

V flashed a knowing smile as she walked past him and hopped into the passenger seat. Clearly opening up to River had taken some of the weight of her shoulders and he was glad to see the beginnings of a sparkle in her eyes again. 

He smirked back at her, shook his head and reminded himself to focus. This was about V, not the effect she had on him or all the things he wanted to do to her. She needed this. She needed to remember Jackie in a way that would bring a smile to her face again. 

“Alright then, let’s go”, River said as he started the ignition. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This hits close to home so it's one of those feely-things that I wrote more for me than for V, so I'll come back soon to fix that needs fixin'. Next chapter will have more of V going down memory lane, and after that we'll get to whatever River has tucked away in the back of the Thorton. It might be mushy but I dunno, I like gentle and caring River just as much as I like his dominant side ;)
> 
> I'm new to fanfic and smut, any comments, thoughts, etc would be more than welcome, thank you! <3 
> 
> (Also feel like I need to say I'm not familiar with bikes AT ALL despite working in the motoring industry for a while and had to research Arch and how to service brakes on a bike, so if I got anything wrong in that scene, please let me know)


	2. Good night, sweet prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackie's birth date opened up old wounds and V has not been herself. River helps her celebrate Jackie's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took so long! Life has been kicking my ass this month. 
> 
> Be warned, there be mush here. V is a bit broken, totally out of character for her, and River is there to pick up the pieces and make it better. I had some mushiness of my own to work through and this is the result. They'll be back to their smutty selves soon!
> 
> Wasn't sure what the history with Silverhand was, but I'm leaning towards them finding a way to save him

They were silent on the drive to Night City, V staring out of the window, just a touch of sadness mixed with nostalgia on her face. River didn’t have to ask to know that she was thinking about Jackie. His birthday really took it out of her this week. 

When he didn’t need his metal hand on the steering wheel, it was resting gently on V’s thigh. He had to tell himself more than once not to push this and just follow V’s lead. He doesn’t know enough about Jackie to take control of the situation, and she needed the space to process his death on her own. 

He only asked where she wanted to go, and she suggested the Afterlife, which River thought strange. But he obliged nevertheless. When they pulled up outside Night City’s most prestigious hangout, V didn’t get out immediately. 

“I’ve been neglecting the Afterlife”, she said first. “Rogue would have never entrusted it to me if she knew I was going to be this…” she waved her hand as she was trying to find the right word. “Such a mess”, she said finally. 

“V, come on, no one thinks that. You don’t work your way up to first being the best damn Edgerunner in the game and then becoming the best damn Fixer in Night City just to…”

“Second best”, V interrupted him and River was glad to see a ghost of a smile tugging the corner of her mouth. “I’ll never live up to Rogue’s legend”. 

“Rogue’s retired, she’s making up for lost time with Silverhand somewhere exotic. It’s all you now, and you are here. Everyone knows it, you have nothing to prove anymore, and most certainly nothing to explain. Not to _anyone_ ”. 

‘Not even me’, he wanted to add, but knew he didn’t have to. The fact that V allows herself to be vulnerable around him already makes his heart swell. Not many can say that they’re this close to V, just a handful. Judy, Panam, Vik and Misty. And now him. Oh and Silverhand too, but only because they shared a body. Fucken incorrigible rockerboy, River thinks with a smirk. “Ready?”

V inhales deeply. “Yeah, let’s go”. 

They walk past Emmerick at the front door. V didn’t change anything about Afterlife when she took over. Don’t fix what ain’t broken. All the regulars are still here – Emmerick keeping the bad elements out, Claire’s doing her magic behind the bar and Nix still works from his sacred space out the back. 

Even Rogue’s bodyguard, Crispin, is still around. He took it upon himself to keep wishful wannabe’s at a distance when V’s working. The two have a strange sort of unspoken camaraderie that always amazes River. 

They make themselves comfortable at the bar while Claire is serving a Morgan Blackhand to one of the patrons. Johnny was super-pissed when she took the Silverhand off the menu, but Claire stood her ground. She told him in no uncertain terms that coming back from the dead means he isn’t dead anymore. No special for you, mister. 

“It’s time, Claire”, V says when the bartender joins them. “I’ve been putting it off for too fucking long. We’re here to have a Jackie Welles”. 

“Vodka on the rocks, lime juice and ginger beer, coming up”, Claire says.

“Don’t forget the splash of love”. 

They sit in silence for a while, memorializing Jackie with his favourite drink, before V eventually starts to open up. She tells River how she called him a few times after his death. 

“Just to, I don’t even know, just to talk, I guess. I told him about his ofrenda, about Mama Welles’ speech and how I eventually convinced her to invite Misty over for dinner.

“It’s silly, but a few months after that I called again. Just wanted him to know that he was the best friend a girl could ever have asked for, you know? Even when he’s not around. To Jackie,” V says as she finishes her drink. “Come, I want you to meet someone important”. 

“Lead the way,” is all River says as he follows V back to his truck. She flicks him directions to El Coyote Cojo in Heywood. V’s quiet on the way over, but it’s different, this silence is good. River leaves her with her thoughts as he navigates to the bar. 

He’s never been to El Coyote before but knows that it’s owned by Jackie's mother. He likes the vibe and his optics tell him ‘Muerto Trash’ is playing. Pepe greets V warmly with a surprised, “V! Is that really you! Mama Welles, look who’s here!” 

V rushes over to them, straight into Mama Welles’ arms and River follows but keeps his distance. Best to give them space for now, but he’s close enough to hear what they’re saying. 

“Too much time has passed, V. How’ve you been? You know you’re always welcome for dinner. Nuestra casa es tu casa”. 

“I know, Mama Welles, I’m sorry.” They exchange bits of information about what each has been up to, before V turns to River, grabs hold of his hand and pulls him closer. “I want to introduce you to River, my input.”

“Hmm”, Mama Welles looks River up and down with mock-disapproval. 

“He’ll do”, she eventually says to V before turning to River. “I could tell you that if you hurt V, I hurt you.” Silence as she stares at him before laughing. “But I can see it won’t be necessary.”

“Nice to meet you, Mama Wells, and I wouldn’t dare!” River extends his hand but she hugs him instead. River won’t lie, he was worried there for a moment. Mama Welles has that mother bear vibe to her, and he doesn’t take her warning lightly.

V laughed along but her voice takes on a serious timbre when she apologizes to Mama Welles for not calling on Jackie’s birthday. “It’s been a bad week, Mama, but River is pulling me through it, brought me here so we could celebrate Jackie’s life”.

River sees the smile that plays over Mama Welles face. The words tugged at her heart and the realization of how important Jackie was to these two women hits him like a ton of bricks. Mama Welles speaks up and River is pulled back from his thoughts. 

“You kids take a seat while I get you something to eat, yes?”

They spend the rest of the afternoon at El Coyote Cojo. Mama Welles joins them later on, even Pepe when he has a spare moment. The air is filled with the smell of good food and laughter as they exchange memories. 

“Jackie valued friendship, loyalty, and family above all else. Y’know, you actually would have liked him”, V says to River. “You are very similar in a lot of ways, and worlds apart in other ways”. 

“Ah yes, but he would have given you so much shit for being V’s input”, Mama Welles laughs. “Like only a brother could, but deep down he would have respected you”. 

At some point, V tells him about how hard Jackie had it growing up. His dad was a real deadbeat gonk and used to hit both Mama Welles and Jackie. He especially liked using his belt on them. 

“Abused them for years, until Jackie turned 15. One day he just snapped, you know? He fought back and his old man ended up in the hospital. The piece of trash left when he was discharged and never returned.”

“S’true”, Mama Welles adds. “Jackie kept that belt. Told me if he ever ran into him again, he’d use it. He was a good son”. She sighs. “You know, he left the Valentino’s for me? After his accident? Said he didn’t want me to worry, bless his heart” 

The afternoon does V good. She’s in much better spirits when they leave, and River hopes that she has let go of the guilt she carries. Seeing Mama Welles and reminiscing about the good old times was just what she needed. 

They say their goodbyes and it’s already dark when they leave. V is more chatty on the trip back, and they talk about everything and nothing while she absentmindedly plays with River’s hand. 

He had it on her leg initially, but she intertwined her fingers through his. He can’t help but smile in the dark, thankful that she returned to him and that she’s not folded into the dark corners of her mind anymore. He’s drawn back to the moment when she suddenly pipes up.

“Hey River? You just missed the turn off”. 

“Nope, I didn’t”, he says, trying not to look at her and trying even harder to keep a straight face, but he can’t. 

“Uhm, but you did. Wait, is that a smile I see?” Fuck, it’s _that_ smile, the one that cuts right her defences and makes her stomach flutter. “What are you up to, Mr Ward?” she asks suspiciously, squinting her eyes.

Her expression makes him roar with laughter. “You’ll just have to wait and see”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! We're not done with River being a sweet 'n soft teddy bear just yet... 😉


	3. Ghost Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> V was in better spirits after spending the afternoon at El Coyote with River, Mama Welles and Pepe, celebrating Jackie's life. But the night was still young and River was a man with a plan. 
> 
> Or, in which River takes V out to Rocky Ridge for a surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a super short update because I felt terrible for not updating sooner. I'll put the next chapter up tonight or tomorrow. This is just laying the plot, sort of. There will be smutty smut smut in the next chapter.

V had been trying to fish for clues about where they were going but gave up eventually when she realized that River wasn’t about to budge. They pulled up at a familiar intersection twenty minutes later. It was dark other than the flickering light coming from the gas station. 

The place was deserted, but V could make out where they were, just barely. 

“Hey, isn’t this Rocky Ridge?”

“It is, you’ve been here before?” River asked, suddenly wondering if his plan was as airtight as he initially thought.

“Yeah, briefly. For my first gig with Panam, actually”. 

“Oh?” River tried to coax more information from V. He might have to do damage control if she’s familiar with the area. It won't be the worst thing, but he’d like for her to see this from a fresh perspective. 

“Her ‘choom’, and I use that word loosely, had set her up and she ended up losing cargo she was supposed to move for Rogue, _and_ her ride. You know how hung up she is about her precious warhorse. The only way to get her to help me track down Hellman was to get her baby back first”. 

“I see. Do you know the area well?”

“Nah, not really, we were only here to set up a trap for Maelstrom and get her gear back. ‘Sides, is a ghost town, deserted for years, yeah?”

“Yep. Town was built to be the next Rancho Coronado, cozy, suburban and away from the hell that is Night City. Never worked out though”. 

He watched as V walked over to an abandoned S.C.S.M and fidgeted with it first before giving it a kick, but the thing had clearly been out of commission for a while. Everything here was dead. 

River looked her over, the way she stood out from her surroundings, the way the moonlit played on her face as she walked back to the Thornton. So mesmerized he forgot for a moment why they were here in the first place. 

“I like it out here. Come out here sometimes between gigs, when I need to clear my head. It’s safer now since you and Dakota practically cleared the area of Raffen Shiv and Wraiths”. 

He went silent for a few seconds, almost as if deep in thought. “And don’t laugh, but I’ve been toying with the idea of reviving the town somehow. Just dunno how, I ain’t no businessman or investor.” 

V had by now made herself comfortable on the hood of the Thornton, one knee pulled up and hugged tight to her body and the other foot resting on the bumper as she scanned the area with her optics. Not another living soul in sight. 

“Ya know, it’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard. The houses are deserted but they’ve got good bones by the looks o’ it. We could start with one house, just for us, fix it up and see where that goes. We’ve got savings, we make good money”, V said as River positioned himself in front of her. 

She instinctively dropped her knee and parted her legs so he could step into the gap. “‘Sides, I can think of a few benefits of living in a ghost town,” she added with a smirk. 

“Oh, and what would that be”, River cupped her cheek as he asked.

“Well, you could probably have your way with me however you please”. V felt him twitch against her thigh, and he almost growled when she added, “And I won’t have to be quiet about it neither”. 

“Is that so?” River said while pushing the strap of her tank top down so he could bite her shoulder.

He trailed kisses across her shoulder and up her neck before whispering in her ear, “I could devour you right here on the truck, and you could scream my name without a soul hearing us”.

“Fuck, Riv…”

_Yes, fuck, River_ , he scolded himself as he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers.  _Focus, this isn’t part of the plan._ His plans are known to fall apart whenever V is involved anyway. 

He could swear he heard her sigh when he pulled away to look into her eyes. “But seriously, do you really think we could make something of it?”

V, high as fuck on the effect he has on her, came down to earth a bit when she saw a hint of something in his eyes, something she couldn’t quite place. He was desperate for her to be on board. This meant a lot to him. 

“Yeah, Riv, I really think so”, her voice was softer this time. 

“In that case, I have something else to show you”, he said as he lifted her off the truck. She was about to protest, not yet ready to untangle from him. He couldn’t help but laugh. 

River turned her around to push her in the direction of the passenger door and smacked her ass, knew she was about to get cocky but cut her off before she got the chance

“The sooner we get there, the sooner I’ll give you what you need”. He settled into the driver's seat and a flashed her a wink. The effect it had on V could not be repeated in polite company. 

“I’m only agreeing to this if you’re talking about fucking my brains out. Like, you know, soon.”

“You’re fucking insatiable, you know that, V?”  _ Focus, River. _

“Hard. Deep.”

“I see you’re not going to make the drive easy for me”. 

“Preferably while pinning me down”. 

“V…” 

“A little choking would be nice too”. 

“Fucksakes”, he all but grunted.

V smiled in the dark. They were on a winding road, almost at the top of the hill overlooking Rocky Ridge to the east. Her optics told her it was just after 9pm. She scanned the area for any familiar landmarks or signs of life, but there were none. They were truly alone out here. V wondered what was waiting at the top of the hill. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm between work assignments right now so couldn't proofread it as thoroughly as I wanted to. My apologies for any typos or errors.
> 
> I took some liberty with the Rocky Ridge landscape. I don't recall there being a hill nearby. I'm kinda mashing Rocky Ridge with the house on the hill from one of Regina's Cyberpsycho missions.


	4. House on the Hill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> River takes V to a special place (no, not the water tower) to discuss serious matters of the heart. Of course they can't keep their hands off each other for long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It starts angsty before it gets smutty, followed by a good helping of mush lol.  
> Conflicted River and Dom River and Sappy Romantic River all in one. 
> 
> If you've kissed River in the game, there'll be no spoilers here. 
> 
> As mentioned in the previous chapter, I'm a bit fast-and-loose with Rocky Ridge's geography here. If you've done Regina's Cyberpsycho gig called House on the Hill, just picture that house (but prettier lol. Location, location, location). I.E, as somewhat rundown house on a hill with windfarms to the one side and overlooking the town on the other side. I mention none if that quests details other than the house, so no spoilers. In my universe, I figure the hill is closer to the town. 
> 
> I've also finished the game twice over now and the Secret Ending/Path of Glory is still my favourite, so going forward I'll probably be working some references to that in, (none in this chapter, I don't think) but with my own tweaks because well I fucking love Johnny. In one of the previous chapters I briefly mentioned Johnny and Rogue making up for lost time. Was very unsure about the timeline when I started this, but this is now most def going to be a post-ending AU for the Path of Glory ending.

They pulled up to a rusted gate and River got out to open it. There was a house up ahead, but the Thornton was parked too far for the lights of the truck to reveal anything other than the shape. Apart from the headlights, it was pitch dark. 

V could barely see Rocky Ridge from up here, and it was only because she could make out the faint shimmer from the flickering lights at the intersection way below them. Another scan – force of habit because this is, _was_ , Raffen Shiv territory – revealed they were still alone.

She took in her surroundings. Her scanner picked up two turrets on the roof, deactivated. The fence was down in patches, but nothing some elbow grease couldn’t fix. And from this new vantage point, V could scan the tall structures of wind farms in the distance. Looking up, V can’t remember the last time she saw the stars _this_ bright. 

“What is this place?”, she asked when River slid into the driver’s seat again and inched the Thorton through the gate. The terrain was rocky with large boulders strewn around the house. River navigated the truck to the edge of the cliff and parked in such a way that the flatbed faced Rocky Ridge to the North, and the headlights illuminated the house. 

“I spent most of my childhood here”, was all he said as he killed the engine. 

“Shit. River? Is this.. Is this where your parents…” She didn’t finish the sentence.

“No, but it’s not far from here. About 15 minutes’ drive east”, River pointed as way of explanation. “Our neighbors lived here, and they would look after me an’ Joss some days. They had a boy and a girl too, we would play cops ‘n robbers”. 

V wanted to ask why the neighbors didn’t take them in, surely him and Joss wouldn’t have grown up in the system then, but she knew this man of hers by now. It wasn’t easy for him to open up about this type of stuff, and she didn’t want to force the conversation.

River, as if he could read her thoughts, explained that the neighbors moved across country at some point before the robbery which claimed his parents' lives.

“About a year ago, I started toying with the idea of revisiting our childhood home. Joss didn’t want to hear anything of it, but I needed to... I don’t e’en know, close that chapter of my life, I guess? Some investigatin’ and I learned that the farm had been deserted for years, abandoned after whichever corp owned it had moved on. I needed to go back”. 

V squeezed his hand. 

“But by the time I reached Rocky Ridge, I couldn’t go further, I couldn’t breathe, an’ decided to come here instead, see if this house was still standing. This was easier, y’know?”

River got out of the truck and walked towards the house, V in tow. He told her that he was met with a man and his rifle when he pulled up to the gate. “Can’t blame a guy for being cautious around these parts”, he chuckled. But after River explained why he was there, the man – John – let him in to explore for old times’ sake. 

He had spent most of the afternoon here, drinking with John on the porch. The two developed a strange camaraderie and River promised to return from time to time, which he did. 

V didn’t want to interrupt his trip down memory lane, so she just wrapped her arms around River from behind, her cheek pressed against his back, and gave him a tight squeeze. He gently stroked over her arms before turning around to face her. 

“John decided last week to move to Atlanta, go live with his daughter. Says he’s too old to be out here alone. I offered to spruce up his security but he wouldn’t have any of it. Left the house to me, though”. He turned V towards the Thorton at the cliff’s edge, “And just wait ‘til you see this view in the daytime”. 

“You don’t have to sell me on any of this, Riv”, V laughed but indulged him nonetheless by leaning against the truck and looking out into the distance. “When do we move in?”

“Well, that was easy”, River chuckled as he stood next to her, arms crossed and looking out over the desert. “Here I had an entire speech planned”. 

“I miss the desert and I love it out here. I forget how bright the stars are away from NC’s neon lights”. 

“Yeah I figured your Nomad heart would”, River said as he turned to stand in front of V.

“And I think Dorian and Monique would have a blast out here, too”. 

“Mmhm”, River said in agreement as he moved closer, pressing himself against her and planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. “But I can think of several other advantages to living out here.”

“Is that so”, V mimicked their conversation from earlier but drew in her breath sharply when he dipped to kiss her neck and push the strap of her tank top off, more urgently than he had before when they were in town.

“Indeed”. Another gasp as he bit into her shoulder and moved his left hand down to cup her ass and crush her against him, _hard_. His right hand slid under her tank to cup her breast and River indulged her for a few seconds, gripping her ass again and allowing her to feel how hard he was for her before stepping away.

“River!” V all but shouted. “I swear, if you fuckin’ blue bean me one more time tonight….” 

He laughed as he walked to the back of the truck. “Stay there and don’t turn around”. She fully intended to turn around and see what he had planned, but froze when River added, more sternly this time, “V… Stay there or you’re going to regret it later”. 

_Fuck_ , V thought, _that tone._ The one that cuts right through her defences. River smirked when he heard her protest but without real conviction. V walked closer to the edge and stood stubbornly with her arms wrapped across her chest but she could hear him fidgeting with the tarp and the tailgate.

The curiosity was going to kill her. Not to mention it was the second time in the space of an hour that he worked her up to the point where she was soaked before stopping abruptly. 

“I don’t like being told what to do unless I’m naked!” V said matter-of-factly back at him over her shoulder. 

“I’ve noticed”, River smirked. “Guess that’s something we could fix soon ‘nough”. 

V nearly jumped when he came up behind her and placed his hands over her eyes. “Turn around”, and then he was guiding her, slowly so she didn’t stumble, before dropping his hands. 

The Thornton’s tailgate was flat and River had converted the back of the truck into a nest of pillows and blankets. Before V could fully take in the scene in front of her, he whispered in her ear, voice gruff with desire, “Guess you better get naked, _fast_ ”, a quick nip at her neck, “so I can ravish you”.

V didn’t have to be asked twice. She had already pulled her tank top over her head before turning around to face River and pull his top off as well. _She really was insatiable_ , River thought with a smirk as he undid her belt and pulled her leather pants down to her thighs, but not all the way. 

V was about the shimmy out of them when he caught her hands in his metal hand. His ‘ganic hand smacked her naked ass before he turned her around and pushed her forward, roughly, onto the pile of blankets. 

_F_ _uck._ V knew she was in trouble. River, for his part, took a few seconds to admire the view: V bent over the rear of his truck, legs trapped by her pants, exposed and ready, for _him._

“Damn, V…” he managed huskily, taking a quick photo of the view with his optics and flicking it to her. “How badly do you want me?”

“River…” V’s voice was muffled by the blankets, “I swear to God, if you don’t fuck me right this second...” 

He had every intention of drawing this out and teasing her mercilessly but a quick flick of his thumb into her folds, feeling how wet and warm she was for him already, and River’s resolve crumbled. 

“Don’t move”, he ordered, and V could hear him unbuckling his belt. She felt him lining himself up and wiggled her hips anyway, trying to claim him faster. “V…”, he growled while pulling away and smacking her ass again. His cock twitched when she gasped first, then giggled. _Fuck, this woman is going to be the end of me._

“Hands behind your back, now”, he ordered, and he could swear he heard her reply with an amused “Yessir”. His resolve crumbled just a bit more. Taking a deep breath to regain control, River gripped both her wrists by her lower back with his metal hand while the fingers of his ‘ganic hand dug into the flesh of her hips, steadying her. 

She was about to protest again, begging to be fucked probably, but her breath hitched in her throat when River drove his cock into her, hard and deep like she had demanded earlier. He wanted to give her a few seconds to adjust but laughed when she started wiggling her hips again. 

“Okay, then…” he said before starting to thrust into her again. Slow, hard strokes that pushed the air out of her lungs with every thrust, downright filthy sounds coming from the most beautiful woman in the world, in River’s humble opinion. 

Every moan and gasp had him nearly coming undone and it was even harder to regain control when he felt her muscles tighten around him. She was close but River wasn’t going to last much longer. 

He looked down and sent her a live feed of what he was seeing. V’s arms pinned behind her back, her hips buckling with every hard thrust of his cock, with every hard thrust of his body against her thighs still trapped in her pants, his fingers digging into her flesh so hard it was going to leave a mark.

He knew she saw it when he heard her curse and whimper his name. River moved his metal hand from behind her lower back where he was pinning her arms, to her throat and squeezed, knowing just how much pressure V liked. 

He leaned forward and moved his 'ganic hand under her body so he could flick her clit; V’s reaction was instantaneous. The live feed combined with his one hand on her throat and the other on her nub was enough to push V over the edge, spectacularly so. 

River fucked her through the waves of her orgasm without slowing down. She delivered on her promise from earlier – she wasn’t quiet _at all_ – and hearing her swear and curse and shout his name between breathless gasps and grunts was more than River could take. 

Three bucks of his hips later and he was spent, allowing the waves of his own release to wash over him before slumping over V’s back and murmuring her name against her skin. They stayed like that for a while, waiting for their breathing to return to normal. 

River raised himself up on his elbows and placed a few gentle kisses down V’s spine before pushing himself up all the way. He pulled V’s pants off completely, along with her boots before taking his pants and shoes off as well. 

“Well, _that_ didn’t go according to plan,” River remarked sheepishly as he picked their discarded clothing items up from around the truck and joined V as she shifted her body up, nestling into the blankets and pillows. 

“No complaints from me”, she said, her voice still gruff from the pounding he had given her. River laid back with his head supported on a folded arm and pulled V close to his chest. She rested her chin on his chest and curled her one leg around his.

There was something about being alone out here, in the open, under the stars and naked with the love of his life. It was easy for River to be vulnerable with V during moments like these, when they’re both exhausted and love-drunk on each other. When it was just them and no one else, no other worries. 

“V…?” He said eventually, breaking the silence while trailing his hand up and down her back.

“Hmmm?” 

“I want to be your husband”, River stammered before the words could disappear. “I know how you feel about marriage and I respect that, but I just need you to know. Nothing in the world would make me happier than making you my wife, and belonging to you.”

“I would love that too”. 

River wasn’t prepared for that. He turned on his side, head propped up on one arm to look at V. “But you don’t believe in marriage, said it's overrated and outdated”. 

“It was, I guess.’Til I met you.” V shifted as well and turned onto her side, stroking his cheek with one hand, their faces inches apart. “River, I practically grew up without a family, I didn’t fit in anywhere. I saw the cruel things love and possession made people do, and I didn’t want any more of that than I already had.”

“Okay, but…” 

“But that was before I had you. Before you accepted me into _your_ family unconditionally. Before you showed me what real love looked like, not just in the way you treated me, but how you care for everyone in your life. Where else do I belong in this world if not with you?”

River swept V up in a crushing hug as he laughed. “Are you sure, though? The last thing I want is for you to feel…” 

He didn’t get to finish. V swallowed up his words, and whichever doubts he may have had, with a deep kiss. Without breaking contact, River rolled her over onto her back, settling between her thighs.

“Come now, you gonk," V laughed when they finally broke for air, "make love to your wife-to-be like you mean it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Think this about wraps up Part 2. Have a plan for Part 3, still busy ironing out the details and toying around with a few scenes.


End file.
